Biography

A fierce anti-Communist throughout his life.

Was the American general most highly decorated by China.

Was given his third star (retired) two days before his death.

Headed the Flying Tigers during World War II.

A heavy smoker, his health declined rapidly in 1956. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 1957 and given six months to live. He made a final trip to Europe and visited Taiwan in January 1958, although he was extremely weak by that time. By the end of his life the cancer was found to have spread to his other lung.

If the people and the governments in those areas do not wish to fight Communism, we should let them be communized.

Boy, if the Chinese only had 100 good pursuit planes and 100 fair pilots, they'd exterminate the Jap air force!

[on guerrilla warfare] Assuming an outside source of supply, the airplane, the cargo parachute, and the portable radio, 20th-century guerrilla warfare can assume maddening dimensions.

[about Madame Chiang, the wife of Chinese leader Gen. Kai-Shek Chiang I have worked with Madam Chiang through long years of bitter defeat, and through victories that now seem even more bitter because their promise of peace has not been fulfilled. I believe she is one of the world's most accomplished, brilliant and determined women.

[about foreign aid] We send people to distribute that aid. We send some of the dumbest, most ignorant people I have ever encountered. We have to change our whole method of giving aid. We have to get down and contact the people, make friends with them at all levels.